by Duncan Lay
‘This is not the time for jokes,’ Caelin said grimly. He spat to clear the coppery taste of blood from his mouth and looked back down the street. A mass of elves was hurrying after them, all carrying swords.
‘We’re dead unless we get moving,’ he warned, glancing to where Edmund was shoving unwilling elves down the street. ‘We’re not moving fast enough.’
‘Sarge!’ Harald pointed to their left, where a crowd of elves was moving along a side street towards them, carrying a mixture of bows and swords.
‘Stay here.’ Caelin turned and raced back to Edmund.
15
Knowing you are wrong and saying sorry seems easy. But my father never mastered admitting he was wrong. I tried to make up for that, with a little success. Sorry does not heal wounds immediately but, without it, they will fester.
‘How are you feeling?’ Bevan asked.
Rhiannon groaned and forced her eyes open. ‘Bloody horrible. Gaibun hit me on the head and it feels like someone’s beating a drum in there.’
‘What! Why did he do that?’
‘Long story. Hurts too much to talk.’ She closed her eyes and then felt his hands gently press on her head. They grew warm and the throbbing headache receded.
‘That feels better,’ she sighed.
‘Sendatsu showed me that trick. I’m glad it could help,’ he said huskily.
She opened her eyes to see him lying beside her on the bed.
‘Is there anywhere else that hurts, that I can lay my hands on?’ he suggested, tracing his hand down her face to her neck and then her shoulder.
Tired as she was, Rhiannon felt the temptation to let that hand slip lower. He was good looking, gifted with magic, and worshipped the ground she walked on. But it felt wrong. When it came down to it, he was not Huw. It was as simple as that, she realised.
‘No, I am fine now,’ she said briskly, moving his hand away and pulling the blanket up to her neck. ‘You may leave.’
‘I don’t think you want me to,’ he said softly.
‘Yes, I do. And right now or you will find out how much you still have to learn about magic.’
Bevan swung his legs off the bed and stood, his face ashen.
‘But I thought —’
‘You thought wrong. You are the best Velsh Magic-weaver and my favourite student. But no more than that.’
Bevan nodded slowly. ‘It seems I have much to learn still.’
‘That’s right,’ she agreed, watching him turn and walk out of the hut, his shoulders slumped.
She dropped the blanket and sighed. She hoped she had not left things too late with Huw.
Sendatsu left Huw and the only two headmen close enough to hear about the elven arrival — Kelyn of Patcham and Dafyd of neighbouring Crumlin — arguing about whether it was a genuine treaty or not and hurried to find Rhiannon. If all had gone to plan in Dokuzen, Sumiko’s plotting had been exposed and she was merely turns of the hourglass away from being arrested for being a traitor. Then everything would change and a treaty could happen. Until then, it was all pointless.
But he did not get to Rhiannon’s home before running into Gaibun. His erstwhile friend held out his hand as soon as he saw Sendatsu.
‘Sendatsu — I am so sorry,’ he said immediately.
The memory of the way Gaibun had nearly killed him and then revealed that Asami was pregnant with Gaibun’s child was far too fresh for Sendatsu to greet him with much enthusiasm.
‘I know what you must think of me but I wasn’t myself last night. Sumiko got inside my head and put thoughts in there that I would never normally have,’ Gaibun continued.
‘Really? I thought Rhiannon said Sumiko could only push you down a path you had already begun walking?’ Sendatsu said stiffly.
Gaibun flushed. ‘Then maybe that is true. Maybe I had begun to see you more as a rival than a friend. I said things to Asami about you that I am ashamed of.’
‘As you should be! You made out I murdered Hanto to protect Rhiannon, and told her I had slept with Rhiannon!’
‘Well, you were trying to steal my wife from me,’ Gaibun pointed out.
‘So you are not that sorry after all,’ Sendatsu said.
Gaibun held up his hands. ‘No, I am truly sorry. It was like last night lanced all the poison inside me and it has all drained out. Neither of us chose this. We have to step back and let Asami decide. Meanwhile, Sumiko is the real enemy and I don’t want us to be fighting when we should be united against her.’
‘I agree with that.’ Sendatsu nodded.
‘Then I ask you, for the sake of our years of friendship, to take my hand now. I will do everything I can to make it up to you.’
Sendatsu wanted to stay angry but the misery in his friend’s eyes, along with the memories of all the times Gaibun had helped him over the years, got the better of him. He held out his hand and Gaibun clasped it swiftly, pulling Sendatsu into an embrace.
‘I promise I shall never let anything get in the way of our friendship. After all this is over, the three of us will sit down and talk. It is Asami’s choice who she is with and we will let her make it. Meanwhile I tried to kill you, now I shall try to keep you alive.’
‘You don’t have to —’
Gaibun cut him off. ‘I do. Sumiko just pulled together what was already there. That will be to my eternal shame. I have to clear my conscience and this is the only way.’
Sendatsu smiled. ‘Then let your conscience be clear — you are forgiven by me.’
They patted each other’s backs awkwardly.
‘You might have forgiven him, but I haven’t. My head still hurts and, when I try to rest, I am disturbed by the pair of you carrying on like a pair of love-struck maidens.’ Rhiannon emerged from her home looking tired and grim.
‘Rhiannon, please forgive me. Let me use my crude magic to help you,’ Gaibun begged.
Rhiannon let him place his hands on her head and use his magic to take some of the pain away. She winked at Sendatsu and mouthed Bevan already helped do that while Gaibun stood behind her.
Sendatsu held his smile back and wondered what Huw would think of the handsome Bevan placing his hands on Rhiannon. It was not something he wanted to get involved in — he was having enough problems with Asami.
‘And now I suppose you want me to send you to Dokuzen?’ Rhiannon asked when Gaibun finished.
‘Please. We need to know if Sumiko’s plotting has been finished.’
‘And quickly. There is a party of elves led by Asami’s father Nagata waiting outside the village, claiming to be here to negotiate a treaty with the Velsh,’ Sendatsu added.
‘What?’
‘And a message arrived from Queen Mildrith of Forland, warning us of treachery and saying if we discovered her words to be correct, we would know she is to be trusted.’
‘How long was I asleep?’ Rhiannon tapped her head. ‘A moon or more?’
Sendatsu smiled. ‘Just the one night. But a busy one.’
‘Come on then.’ Rhiannon waved to Gaibun. ‘Time to ride back to the oak tree.’
‘Wear cloaks,’ Sendatsu advised. ‘We don’t want Nagata and his escort to know what is going on.’
Rhiannon nodded. ‘Fine. I’ll send you back to your house. Find out the news and send us a message through Asami as soon as possible.’
‘I promise.’ Gaibun nodded. ‘But what if I cannot find her?’
‘Then I shall open the oaken gateway in a turn of the hourglass.’ Rhiannon sighed. ‘But I don’t expect to. After all, how bad can it be in Dokuzen now?’
‘What do we do, sir? We’re going to be cut to pieces unless we can move faster,’ Caelin asked quietly.
Edmund looked up and down the street. Only a handful of the elves in the mobs that were forming had swords or bows but more were arriving every moment, while others were slipping away, presumably to get armour and weapons. Most seemed to be either boys or old men and there was no organisation but a big mob could destroy his little company just
as easily as a disciplined army.
‘What’s the chance we can get back to the gateway before they charge us?’ Harald murmured.
‘About the same chance as your wife’s mother has of being chosen as Forland’s most beautiful woman,’ Ruttyn suggested.
Edmund stared at them but Caelin did not have the chance to explain. They reached a street corner and the sound of galloping hooves made them all turn and drop into a defensive crouch.
It was not a cavalry charge, but a herd of horses, led by Oroku.
‘Get on, you fools!’ Oroku snarled at them. ‘I am using magic to control them but it will not last!’
They needed no second invitation. Men climbed onto the strangely docile horses, and others lifted captive elves into their arms before clambering into the saddle themselves.
‘Just hold on — I shall do the rest!’ Oroku said.
The horses stood like statues, then, without a word of command, they broke into a gallop. Caelin, Harald and Ruttyn’s horses took the front, Oroku just behind them.
‘You need to protect me,’ Oroku cried. ‘Watch left!’
Caelin swivelled to see a group of elves with bows pointed at them. Their arrows leaped off the bow and concentrated on the four of them. Oroku held up a hand and the arrows went wild. Caelin loosed, followed a moment later by Harald and Ruttyn, and their bolts converged on the small group, scattering them and leaving two screaming on the cobbles.
‘If you want me to have enough power to send you home, keep a better watch,’ Oroku cried.
Caelin ignored him, concentrating on loading his crossbow in the saddle.
Elves ran out of a building and jumped in front of the horses, waving their arms, trying to get them to turn or stop. With normal horses that would have worked but Oroku sent his herd running onwards and the elves had to jump for their lives. One was too slow and was thrown aside by the shoulder of a horse; a second went beneath the flashing hooves, his scream cut short.
Arrows flickered in from the side or above, but the group was moving so fast they were a difficult target. And the horses did not even react if they were struck, continuing as if nothing had happened. The men were not so lucky. A captive shrieked as an arrow went through his leg, pinning him to the saddle, while a Forlish soldier did not have time to cry out as another went through the back of his head, bursting out the front and sending his left eye spraying over Edmund’s face.
Caelin, Harald and Ruttyn loosed bolts in all directions, hunched up in fear of the arrows coming in. But although plenty were aimed in their direction, none of them found their targets. The horses had all been struck at least once but still plunged onwards silently, almost as unnerving as the elves trying to kill them.
Screaming elves rushed at them from the side, trying to grab the bridles of the horses but the horses would not be stopped and those elves were trampled if they did not let go.
Caelin sighted on a shouting elf and loosed, only to miss as his horse slowed dramatically, throwing out his aim.
‘We are here,’ Oroku said.
From out of the doorway came the four men they had left there to guard their escape.
‘Go, go!’ Edmund roared at them, his face still spattered with blood.
The soldiers jumped down, grabbing the prisoners and dragging them inside the house. There were still elves attacking and arrows were flickering in at them from three sides. Harald shot one down, then jumped into the doorway as an arrow sank into the wall where he had been standing.
Then the horses either collapsed, screaming, or galloped away, the effects of their magical run and the arrows they had taken catching up with them.
Caelin grabbed the well-dressed female elf and hustled her into the reeking house, following shouting soldiers and the thump of booted feet on tiles out into the garden.
‘Same as before. Hold the staff and do not let go,’ Oroku instructed, standing beside a tall oak tree.
As soon as the prisoners saw they were being taken through an oaken gateway, several of them started struggling and swearing. Soldiers hit them with clubs once more, stunning them.
‘Will we ever be coming back or do you take us to our deaths?’ the elf asked Caelin.
Caelin looked down at her. The sounds of pursuit were getting closer, angry shouts and horns were blowing in all directions.
‘You will be back, as long as the Elder Elf gives us what we want,’ he replied.
At this, she closed her eyes briefly, then looked up at him. ‘He is my husband. He will give you nothing but death.’
Caelin saw the coldness in her eyes and it made him shiver.
The prisoners were no longer fighting, as any who did were brought under control with a few blows from the clubs. But that meant each one had to be carried through the gateway by a pair of soldiers. The sound of fighting back in the house told them the rearguard was under attack and time was running out.
Harald helped one through, while Ruttyn picked up the unconscious female elf who had used both magic and the sword on them and proved such a handful to capture. He slung her over his shoulder and walked through.
A scream from behind made Caelin and Edmund turn to look back at the house. They were the last Forlish, with the last prisoner.
‘Break off! Run! We are away!’ Edmund roared back at the rearguard. He nodded to Caelin. ‘You go. I’ll be right behind.’
‘Come on.’ Caelin grasped the elf around the waist, amazed at how small she was after the way she had fought earlier. He kept hold of the staff, sliding his hand along it as he stepped into the tree. He closed his eyes and prayed he would open them again in Forland.
‘Your house is full of death, unless your father cleaned it up,’ Rhiannon warned.
Gaibun shrugged. ‘I think he’s probably been too busy for that. But I can stand to see a few more dead bodies.’
‘I’ll open the gateway again in a turn of the hourglass — if you don’t come through then I will wait until I hear from you and Asami,’ she said.
‘You’ve already told me that. I am not an idiot,’ he said with a touch of irritation.
Rhiannon smiled. ‘That’s better. For a while there I didn’t recognise you as Gaibun.’
‘Very funny.’
Rhiannon opened the gateway but everything seemed to shudder and she felt as though she was in three places at once: the clearing; Asami’s garden but somewhere strange; and a field filled with shouting men. Then that doorway closed off and she had to grit her teeth and fight to keep everything steady.
‘What was that?’ Gaibun asked.
‘I have never seen that before. I think someone else was using the oak tree in your garden as a gateway when we opened ours.’
‘But where was that?’
‘I don’t know. Gaibun — go through but I won’t wait a whole turn of the hourglass. I’ll wait to a count of five hundred and then open it again. I don’t know what you’ll be going back there to face.’
Gaibun loosened his sword in its scabbard and stepped forwards. ‘Send me now,’ he said.
Rhiannon felt him tap the end of the staff to indicate he was through, then closed the gateway behind him, already counting under her breath.
Gaibun stepped into the familiarity of his garden but it still took him a few moments to get his bearings. There were bodies lying on the ground, both human and elf, while more elves milled around, some with bloody swords.
‘What’s going on here?’ Gaibun shouted.
They turned on him at once and for a moment he thought he would have to defend himself but then they saw who he was.
‘Gaibun! What are you doing here?’ an elf asked. Gaibun recognised him as one of the elves he had rescued from the Forlish after Lord Konetsu had got their patrol slaughtered in the southern forest, although he could not remember the warrior’s name.
‘This is my home. What are you doing here?’ Gaibun replied.
‘Gaijin have invaded the city. They appeared out of nowhere and then just escaped thr
ough a gateway in that tree somewhere.’
‘What?’
‘This is the last of them.’ The elf pointed to a pair of dead humans. ‘They tried to run for it but, when they got here, the gateway had been closed.’
‘Why did you not take them alive?’
The warrior glanced over at the ones with reddened swords. ‘Our blood was up after what these gaijin did.’
‘What could a handful of gaijin have done to make you lose your minds?’ Gaibun asked disdainfully.
The elf shook his head. ‘They set fire to the Council Chamber. We are trying to save it even now but the fire has taken hold of the building.’
Gaibun turned to see a huge pall of smoke hanging over the city. ‘What? How could they do that? Where were the guards?’
‘I don’t know. But the gaijin captured everyone in the Council Chamber and took them away with them …’
Gaibun strode over to the elf, his heart pounding and fear rising in his throat. ‘What do you mean they took everyone away? Where did they take them?’
‘We don’t know! We followed them into your house and then they vanished, all except the rearguard, who are now all dead. They must have taken our people with them.’
Gaibun grabbed hold of the warrior’s kimono. ‘My wife was in the Council Chamber, as was my father! Are they both gone?’ He stared into shocked eyes and the warrior’s name came back to him then. ‘Mogasai, you have to tell me!’
‘I don’t know!’
Gaibun let go of Mogosai, trying to think. If they had been taken, then he needed to get back to Rhiannon as fast as possible. She had glimpsed where the Forlish were going. It was obvious Sumiko’s treachery went far deeper than they had imagined and she had helped the Forlish pull off a stunning raid. But what if Asami and his father had not been among the prisoners? He could not imagine either of them giving up easily. If he raced off, then he might miss them.
‘Your father and your wife were among those who were taken,’ a familiar voice said sorrowfully. ‘I saw them with my own eyes. If you see Sendatsu, tell him his mother was also one of them.’